Has Australia Or New Zealand A Native Grape Varietal?

[rchhchan]

Is it logical to assume that all the internationally renown varieties Australia grow are basically French because they bear the French names?
The only popular one that's not French is Riesling.

Ray

[Gary W]

Only the ones that the CSIRO have invented. Like Tyrian, Cienna and Tarrango.

GW

[darby]

There are in fact quite a few Australian varieties. All are of course derived from Vitus vinifera.

As Gary mentioned the CSIRO has produce quite a few.

Here are three, oddly enough all are derived from Cab Sauv, and all were developed in the private sector.

1. Cynge blanc

This variety was established by the Legendry Jack Mann in his family vineyard in the Swan Valley from a seedling growing in a Cabernet vineyard. Mann winery in WA use it to make a bottle fermented sparkling wine. The variety is being further commericalised in a large vineyard in the Limestone Coast region.

2. Malian

This is bronze/pink wine variety which is derived from a sport on a Cabernet vine and is now being used by Clegget Wines in Langhorne Creek to make early and late picked rose style wines

3. Shalistin

This is a further sport of Malian and is white. It is used for making a dry white wine.

All of these are now registered varieties, and all are dinkum aussies.

I don't know if there are any NZ varieties.

[Daryl Douglas]

No.

There are no grape varieties that are native to Australia. As GW notes, the CSIRO has developed varieties that are uniquely Australian but their parentage is from European, Mediterranean areas. Wasn't aware of the privately-developed varieties Darby mentions.

daz